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Issue 324

Socialists launch new e-mail bulletin
By Al McCall
As an adjunct to its political campaigns, the Democratic Socialists have launched an e-mail based information service. Called DS_NET, it is geared toward generating information about the work the

By Keara Courtney and Becky Fairall Lee
SYDNEY — High school students here walked out of school on July 2 to attend a rally in opposition to the rise of Pauline Hanson and racism. The socialist youth organisation Resistance, which organised the

By Paul Oboohov
CANBERRA — Following the dismantling of the CES, the staff remaining in the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs voted 87.75% in favour of accepting some loss of conditions in a postal vote concluding on

By Amanda Lawrence
SYDNEY — The annual Network of Women Students Australia (NOWSA) national conference was held at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean's Kingswood campus on June 29-July 3. Around 350 women attended from around Australia.

Pressure builds on Centrelink
By Bill Mason
Computer problems with the Newstart Common Platform dealing with processing unemployment and related benefits, and the introduction of the federal government's disastrous new Youth Allowance, have

By Bill Mason
BRISBANE — Within 24 hours of being sworn in as the new Queensland premier, Labor leader Peter Beattie met with Brisbane's business and industry leaders to confirm the new government was "ready for business". At the meeting on June

CPSU sell bad agreement
By Ben Courtice
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) tax section voted in the week ending June 26 on the enterprise agreement being put to staff by management. Three-quarters of the union members who voted accepted

Secondary student network formed
HOBART — As a result of the rally against racism here on June 26, a new activist group of secondary students was formed. The Secondary Students Anti-Racist Network aims to politicise secondary students and

WOLLONGONG â The National Union of Students' (NUS) national education
conference was held here on June 27-28. It was attended by students from
all states and territories and discussed the state of higher

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By printing the news and

Rag trade exploits outworkers
By Bridget Riggs
MELBOURNE — Fairwear, a community action group campaigning for outworkers' rights, and the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA) have taken companies such as Adidas, Portmans,

Jabiluka activists meet
By Lachlan Malloch
CANBERRA — A national conference of environment activists committed to stopping the Jabiluka uranium mine was held here on June 27-28. Most of the 25 participants are leaders of the Wilderness Society,

Council guards threaten GLW with violence
By Melanie Sjoberg ADELAIDE — Progressive groups continue to support Green Left Weekly's struggle for freedom of speech on the city streets here. Despite a well-attended rally in Rundle Mall on June 26,

By Jorge Jorquera
MELBOURNE — More than 300 anti-racist activists and local residents protested against the policies of One Nation in Footscray on July 4. The rally was organised by the Democratic Socialists and Resistance. Participants came from

By Shane Bentley
SYDNEY — Around 300 people attended a rally in opposition to award stripping in the Trades Hall auditorium on July 1. The rally heard speeches from Labor's industrial relations spokesperson Bob McMullen, ACTU president Jennie

Brisbane students plan walkout
By Emma Tovell and Sarah Cunningham
BRISBANE — Angry high school students and Resistance members have joined to organise a mass high school walkout, protesting against racism and the growth of Pauline Hanson's One

Canberra high school walkout against One Nation
By Jordie Collins
CANBERRA — On July 2, despite school administrations threatening to penalise students, around 120 secondary students participated in an anti-racist walkout. The rally provided a

Jabiluka: pressure on Howard, ERA grows
There were mass arrests at the Jabiluka uranium mine site in Kakadu National Park on July 3, as thousands blockaded construction. The government and the mining company, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA),

By Jorge Jorquera
On the waterfront, the National Farmers Federation (NFF) spearheaded the new wave of neo-liberal attacks on workers' wages and conditions by seeking to smash a well-organised union with a militant history — the Maritime Union of

Delegates rally against award stripping
By Michael Bull
MELBOURNE More than 1200 job delegates and union officials rallied against the introduction of award stripping at Melbourne Town Hall on July 1. The meeting was organised by the Victorian

Rallies oppose racism and economic rationalism
By William Thomas
HOBART — More than 50 people, including many secondary students, rallied in Franklin Square on June 26, to oppose the racist, homophobic agenda of Pauline Hanson's One Nation and

Free Burma conference
MELBOURNE — To mark the 10th anniversary of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising in Burma, the All Burma Students Democratic Organisation is holding an Activists' Conference for a Free Burma here on July 18-19 at Ridley College,

By Barry Sheppard
In a letter to managers, top General Motors executives have ordered all operations except those related to the company's new full-size pick-up truck halted, and all "non-essential" workers laid off, reports the Wall Street

Guatemalan military linked to bishop's murder
In a press conference in Washington on June 25, US lawyer Jennifer Harbury revealed 23 names and pseudonyms of members of the death squad Avenging Jaguar (Jaguar Justiciero, JJ), which claimed

By César Ayala
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico — The entire labour movement of Puerto Rico will support of telephone workers in a general strike against the privatisation of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC). Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island

By Renfrey Clarke
MOSCOW — When Russia's new rich are called upon to invest, produce, pay their taxes and help save the country from economic oblivion, it is only to be expected that they will want a bribe. The anti-crisis economic program tabled

Signs of disillusionment with ANC
By Norm Dixon
There is evidence that the African National Congress government's pro-big business economic policies are causing growing disillusionment amongst the black working class and poor. While South

Editorial: A shameful betrayal
When Prime Minister John Howard and Senator Brian Harradine announced the compromise that will ensure passage of the government's Wik legislation through the Senate, most media commentary focused on which of the two

Festival educates and organises
By Francesca Davis
SYDNEY — The Wild Spaces film festival, held here June 19-21, presented a wide range of important issues using various film formats. If it continues and branches out, as festival organiser Gary

Aboriginal children feature in exhibition
Aboriginal art works on the theme "Our children — for those we lost; for those who will lead us" will be focus of the 1998 Mil-PRA art exhibition at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre from July 9 to 27.

No prison break-outs
The FarmDirected by Jonathan Stack and Liz GarbusProduced by Gabriel FilmsScreened at the 45th Sydney Film Festival Review by James Vassilopoulos
Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, is one of the biggest

No More Secrets
SYDNEY — An installation aimed at uncovering the secrecy of the two Aboriginal artists' identity, family and indigenous heritage is being held at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre from July 2 to 26. No More Secrets traces how the two

Youth band competition
SYDNEY — South Sydney Youth Services are holding a youth band competition on August 8 in conjunction with the Mascon 3 Festival 1998, at Sydney Park in St Peters. Young female musicians are particularly encouraged to

A celebration of courage and solidarity
Honey and AshesDirected by Nadia FaresWith Nozha Khouadra, Amel Ledhili, Naji Najeh, Samia MzaliScreened at the 45th Sydney Film Festival Review by Francesca Davis
Honey and Ashes is a powerful movie

Among the BarbariansBy Paul SheehanRandom House, 1998. 338 pp., $19.95 Review by Ben Reid
This book represents the ideas that underpin much of the xenophobic and racist thinking of the "respectable" right in Australian politics. Sheehan, a

Political prisoners benefit a huge success
By Lynda Hansen
BRISBANE — More than 120 people crammed into Che's Lounge on June 28 to support the campaign to free Indonesia's political prisoners. The fundraiser was organised by Green Left Weekly

More Work Songs from the Planet of the ApesBob WisemanGFC recordingsSend Can$20 to PO Box 660, Station P, Toronto, ON M5S 2Y4, Canada, or order by credit card at <www.festival.bc.ca> Review by James Smith
Why do things that are mediocre

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In these days of growing media concentration, Green Left Weekly is a proudly independent voice committed to human and civil rights, global peace and environmental sustainability, democracy and equality. By printing the news and ideas the mainstream media won't, Green Left Weekly exposes the lies and distortions of the power brokers and helps us to better understand the world around us.